Indian Cake, a frugal recipe from 1800s US

I own a reprint of Lydia Maria Child's The American Frugal Housewife, 12th edition, originally published in 1833.  You can view a digital copy of the 1832 edition through Project Gutenberg by clicking here. What's impressive is that the book was originally published in 1828 - yes, it was that popular.  I also found the 27th edition, published in 1841 at archive.org.

ISBN 978-0-918222-98-5

Mrs. Child was, according to Wikipedia, "an American abolitionist, women's rights activist, Native American rights activist, novelist, journalist, and opponent of American expansionism."  She was a prolific author and kept busy until the end of her life in 1880.  Truly an accomplished woman, especially for that century.

I recently participated in a Civil War Reenactment where I was cooking period-appropriate recipes from both the North and the South.  Mrs. Child's book was a valuable resource for me, considering that wartime often requires frugality.  I had several of her receipts (recipes) ready to prepare if the timing allowed.

One that I had hoped to do but didn't get to (this happens often in historical cooking -- I always overprepare just in case) was from page 75:

Indian meal is corn meal, and the first recipe is frugal in that it does not call for eggs, milk, or leavening of any sort.  In my mind, not having eggs or milk could be expected when you are traveling with the armies as it is hard to keep eggs whole during bumpy travels and keep milk fresh without refrigeration.  

At first glance, the frugal version looks like it could be cornbread.  However, since it doesn't have leavening, you can't expect it to be puffed and soft like a typical cornbread.  Also, in the South, white corn meal is preferred, and yellow in the North.  I couldn't acquire white corn meal.

My Frugal Redaction

4 cups cornmeal

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons solid shortening

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup cooked pumpkin (from a can)

3 cups boiling water

The water was boiling while the picture was taken.

Put all the ingredients except the water in a bowl.  Add the boiling water and stir until well-blended, especially watch to have the shortening melted and mixed thoroughly.  I found it easiest to stir with a spoon.  

You might need to adjust the amount of water depending on how the cornmeal absorbs it.  My mix was moist but not wet or runny.  

At the reenactment, I had planned on cooking the cake in a frypan over the fire or frying it in small patties.  At home I baked half of it in the oven and the fried the rest as patties.

Just add boiling water, and stir.

The batter:  moist but still thick, not runny.

Method 1 - In the oven.

The oven was preheated to 350 degrees F.  I greased a cast iron skillet with shortening.  Half of the batter was spread in the skillet and baked for 20 minutes, uncovered.  I noticed that the layer was about 1/2 inch thick or a little less.  After 20 minutes, it looked baked on the top and was firm to the touch.

Ready to bake.

Baked.

Method 2 - Fried patties

I preheated the greased cast iron skillet over medium heat (4 or 5 out of 10).  I spooned enough batter to spread into a patty about 3 to 4 inches in diameter and patted it to about 1/2 inch thickness or less.  After about 5 minutes of cooking on one side, I flipped it to brown the other side.  I removed the patty when it looked toasted, was a golden yellow (not bright yellow like the meal), and was firm to the touch.  I cooked them in batches, regreasing the pan as needed to keep them from sticking.

You can see the color difference between cooked and raw.

The Verdict

The baked didn't get toasted golden but it was cooked all the way through.  It easily came out of the pan to be served on a plate.  I cut it in wedges to serve.  

Wedge on edge to show that it is cooked through.

The patties were served as a pile on a plate.  They were cooked all the way through, too.

Visually more interesting than the baked version.

Also cooked through.

Both types were thin, dense pieces of bread, but not too chewy or hard.  I saw moisture in the middle of both.

My guest taster and I liked both versions.  The flavor was mild, which didn't conflict with the sausage and veggie stew I served with them.  In fact, they were a good accompaniment to the stew, both plain and buttered.  We also had a piece with butter and mulberry jam on it for dessert.

I could not taste the pumpkin but my guest taster thought he could.  There was a slight bitter flavor, not unpleasant, which I attributed to the molasses.  It had enough salt, was only mildly sweet, and the corn flavor was pleasing.  

My guest taster liked them both equally.  I preferred the fried patties because they had a bit of cornmeal crunch that the baked version didn't offer.  

Success!

It felt like the fried patties were cornmeal pancakes or something from my childhood, fried mush.  This was a good thing!  I used to put butter and maple syrup on the fried mush, which would be good here, too.

Keep in mind that if you do this and bake the entire amount of batter, you will get a thicker cake that will take longer to bake.  You will want to add more boiling water to make a pourable batter.  Adjust accordingly.

Mrs. Child suggested ways to be less frugal by adding milk or buttermilk, eggs, more sweetener, leavening, and spices.  I would suggest adding bacon bits, chives, or maybe topping it with shredded cheese once it is cooked. 

I have since found that the leftovers are good reheated.  Once I broke up a patty into pieces and mixed them into the stew.  That was good, too.